Controlling the Uncontrollable

When you really think about it, the only thing absolutely outside of our control or influence is the weather. The weather does whatever it wants to do, whenever it wants to do it. All we can do is respond – but is this really all?

In his forthcoming book entitled, “Why Not You?”, author Rich Arlington explains how the weather is the essence of his business. Arlington is a consultant to the snow, ice and lawn care industries. He has built an empire in a field where many didn’t know empires were possible. But to be successful, he had to design his business model around the uncontrollable.

If it rains too much, his company has a hard time keeping up with the fast pace of growing grass. If there’s a drought, business can easily dry up. Too much snow and trucks can’t stay ahead of the buildup in the streets, not enough snow and trucks sit idle. And so Arlington created a risk-averse model.

He traveled the country and landed business in 39 states, which means 39 different local weather conditions. This, combined with billing customers a flat monthly fee, stabilized corporate revenue by leveraging the most uncontrollable element in life – the weather.

This proves the power of strategy. None of us knows when or where the next economic storm or boom will happen. But with the right strategy you can protect and build when it happens.